MacquarieCon '94

Found all of my paperwork from MacquarieCon '94. For the non-Aussies among you, this was (is?) a role-playing convention run at Macquarie University in December by their student gaming club, MURPS.

According to the personalised timetable, I was player #150. I've always been prompt at enrolling in stuff, so there may have been twice that many attendees. 26 years hence, I can't be sure. I do remember it being popular.

It appears I played 10 sessions over the weekend - nine with my team named Splintered Gestalt and one on my lonesome, when my buddies took part in a "Magic: The Gathering" tourney. I dug the CCG, but viewed it as a waste of a con slot.

The Friday sessions were 9am-12, 1-4, 4.30-7.30 and 8-11pm(!). The same on Saturday. Sunday was 9am-12 and 1-4pm only. We subsisted on junk food sold at the convention, and kipped on a friend's parents' floor.

Here's a rundown of what I played:

1. "Shadow Of The Sw*st*k*": WW2 supers using the "Heroes Unlimited" system. I was Captain Venger, who was like a flying Captain America crossed with Batman. His fortune was tied to the success of US war bonds, so while he was anti-killing, he wasn't without an agenda. I won a trophy.

2. "A Bridge Too Far": "Cyberpunk" system. From what I can gather at this distance, the plot involved contaminated water, clones, celeb-worshipping gangs and had a lot to do with teeth. I was dental assistant Sarah Malley, also a part-time drug dealer with a weakness for dodgy dudes.

3. "The Call": Haunted-house scenario for "AD&D 2E". If this is the "Ravenloft" adventure I *think* it was (there were others), the seemingly inexperienced young GM frustrated so many of our ideas that my mate got angry at him, stormed out and listened to the footy on his car radio instead.

4. "Sleep Of The Damned": Experimental systemless module about the dreams of the amoral/immoral. Everyone was assigned the role of a different type of horrible, horrible extremist (conspiracy-believing t*rr*r*st for me), and - spoiler warning! - it transpired we were trapped together in Hell.

5. "Disconnection": Didn't manage to retain my character sheet. This was a "Shadowrun" tale set against a war in Europe and the decline of magic.

6. "Mystics & Mediums": Multiform with a clever premise about a Mystic Expo coinciding with freak weather events on the hippie-packed north coast of NSW. I was a cop trying to protect folks from natural (and supernatural?) threats. After the huge storm hit in game, I shoved my head under a real-life tap so I could re-enter the main room with my hair dripping. Method acting!

7. "Hunter Planet": Surprise, surprise - "Hunter Planet" system. The usual madness associated with this homegrown RPG. My chara was a wormlike alien bodybuilder/hairdresser.

8. "The Best Laid Plans": I want to say this was a "Flashing Blades" romp. Then I want to say we utterly blew it, dallying at some fancy masked ball too long, missing the obvious clues and letting the baddie(s) get an unassailable lead on us. Never mind.

9. "Slayer's People": System was "SLA Industries", can't speak to the specifics. Imagine aspects of "The Tripods" (E.T. overlords), "Blade Runner", "The Running Man" and White Wolf's "World Of Darkness" and you'll catch the vibe. I was an Ebon called Jester, apparently.

10. "Treasure Hunt": "AD&D 2E". RPGA "Living City" underwater expedition. Except our party barely left the opening location due to banter and self-invented side quests. We role-played as The Simpsons...whose global-smash show the GM amazingly didn't watch. But he thought the concept was amusing when we explained it to him later. And a couple of us won trophies.

I'm positive my team-mates scored additional prizes, but I can't recall what they were for. "M:TG"?

Looking back on MacquarieCon '94 now, I'm impressed with the variety of the modules - as well as with the appetite for gaming we possessed in our early 20s (not to mention our ability to thrive on a rubbish diet). Would I do it all again? Yeah, but maybe not that "Ravenloft" adventure.

Ad on the back of my timetable for one of the con sponsors -